I want what I want when I want it. It's that simple. What got us here won't sustain us. If you want your organization to survive and thrive you need to build a membership model based on value and accessibility. One that is nimble and will help you achieve your goals. This presentation was given at the ASAE Great Ideas Conference in March 2017.

1. Designing a Membership
Model for the Future

2. What percentage of members join to
support an organization’s mission?
A. 24%
B. 34%
C. 44%
D. 54%

3. What percentage of members join to
support an organization’s mission?
A. 24%

4. Threats or
Opportunities

5. Cord Cutters
I don’t want to pay
for what I don’t
use.
#1 Control

6. Most cars are parked 95% of
the time
#2 Usage

7. 1 in 26 unhappy customers will complain, the rest
will leave or stop using your product or service
#3 Customer Service

8. #4 Competition

9. Consumers are seeking affordable experiences
they can share with others.
#5 Experience

10. • Hard working
• Detail oriented
• Organized
• Innovative
thinkers
• Loyal to my
employer
Millennials view
themselves as…
#6 Generations

11. • Tech-savvy
• Easily bored
• Open-to-
change
• Self-centered
• Innovative
thinkers
Boomers and GenY
view Millennials
as…

12. • Tech-savvy
• Easily bored
• Open-to-
change
• Self-centered
• Innovative
thinkers
Boomers and GenY
view Millennials
as…
• Hard working
• Detail oriented
• Organized
• Innovative
thinkers
• Loyal to my
employer
Millennials view
themselves as…

13. 75% of Millennials feel unprepared for
their current work situation.

14. Mid-careerists, sandwiched between caring
for their kids and parents.
#7 Time

15. Changes in the workforce,
reimbursement, MACRA/ACA
uncertainty, student debt, technology
#8 Uncertainty

16. Are you an asset or a liability?

17. Is your membership model built
around value and the issues
impacting the decision to join
TODAY?

20. $199
$39
$30
$39

22. Former membership model:
• Based on age/career stage
• All benefits were the same

23. 1. Expand reach –
Increase
membership
among key
audience segments
2. Align value with
cost – maintain
high retention
rates
3. Increase
engagement

24. Keys to Success
Plan for this… Be prepared for this…

25. 1. Research partner – value/pricing study
2. Leadership support - Board president,
open-minded volunteers and key
stakeholders involvement
3. Mapping current members to a new
category that was similar to the old one
Keys to Success

26. 4. Communications – 4 months prior to
launch – Focus on how new model will
impact members
Keys to Success
• Microsite
• Month mailings
• Targeted email
• Invoice inserts

27. Keys to Success
5. Pilot testing the new model with new
audiences that were never members
6. Periodic board reports, standard set of
metrics, tracking and updates
7. Board commitment to make no changes
for a full year
8. Identifying champions

28. Challenges in Year 1
• A smaller number of members moved to the
Premium level than anticipated - only about
1% chose those option in the first year.
• Slight decrease in membership outside of the
US/Canada due to the dues structure
change. Considered a different dues
structure for international members once we
passed the first year of the new model

29. BASIC
Annual Dues: $295
ENHANCED
Annual Dues: $395
PREMIUM
Annual Dues: $495
BENEFITS
Ø Online access to the
Journal CHEST
Ø Discounts for courses
and products
Ø Online access to clinical
guidelines
Ø CHEST career connection
access
Ø Opportunity to join
CHEST NetWorks
Ø Access to e-community
portal
BENEFITS
All the benefits of
BASIC plus
Ø Print access to
Journal CHEST
Ø Opportunity to
become and remain
a Fellow
Ø Leadership
opportunities
Ø Invitation to
networking events
BENEFITS
All the benefits of
ENHANCED plus
Ø Additional special offers
throughout the year
Ø Advance access to course
registrations
Ø Advance access to hotel
registrations
Ø Invitations to VIP events

30. Results – 19,000 Members
• Highest membership ever!
• Most of the growth in areas like fellows-in-
training, non-physician clinicians, industry
representatives, and other trainees
• Annual membership revenue steady
• Membership retention: 90%

31. Questions

32. Questions to ask…
1. What is your goal? Members, reach, revenue?
2. What is the size of the market?
3. Do you have the technology to support a
change to the structure?
4. Do you know what members value most?
5. Who should you consult and inform?

33. Questions to ask before you make a change
6. How do members currently behave?
7. Can you provide enough value at different
levels of membership or will you need to
identify new benefits?
8. What are the next best alternatives in the
market? How are they priced?

34. Questions to ask before you make a change
8. Who should be a member but isn’t?
9. Could you improve the member experience or
the frequency of when members use
benefits?
10.Can membership be a product?
11.How will you transition current members into
the new model?

35. 12.How will you onboard new members?
13.Are there any “winners” or “losers” in the new
model? How will you communicate the
change?
14.Will the new model help you achieve your
goals?
Questions to ask before you make a change

36. Questions

37. Thank you.
Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE
President & CEO
Avenue M Group
jacobs@avenuemgroup.com
Suzanne Sletto, CAE
Director, Leadership Operations &
NetWork Development
American College of Chest Physicians
ssletto@chestnet.org